Eyecup



Jan. 16,1934. F, ERI N 1,943,349

EYECUP Filed Sept. 19, 1932 INVENTOR FRANCIS J. .SPER/SEN.

WrW

ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 16, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application September 19, 1932 Serial No. 633,757

4 Claims.

My invention relates to eyecups, and has, among its objects: To provide an eyecup which is always available with the eye lotion which it is desired to apply; to provide an eyecup which is clean and free from dust at the time of use; and to provide an eyecup which will serve as a stopper for a bottle of eye lotion and which will form a dust and leak-proof seal when thus used.

Other objects of my invention will be apparent or will be specifically pointed out in the description forming a part of this specification, but I do not limit myself to the embodiment of my invention herein described, as various forms may be adopted within the scope of the claims.

The nature of this invention will be more readily understood. by reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section of a bottle and stopper embodying this invention, the eyecup being shown in axial section.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the eyecup shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the eyecup, and

Figure 4 is another elevational view, the direction of view being at right angles to that of Figure 2.

In accordance with this invention a bottle or other container for eye lotion 1 is provided with a wide neck or mouth 2, having an internal conical bearing surface 4 for receiving a stopper.

' The stopper 5 I prefer to make of the same material as the bottle, e. g., glass, but it may also be made either of hard or semi-soft rubber, bakelite, or other suitable material. Its lower end is provided with a recess 6 of elliptical cross section, so

' that the stopper itself forms a cup which is inverted when the stopper is in place.

The outer wall of the cup has a portion '7 which is conical and. tapering so as to fit the conical bearing surface 4. of the bottle neck. Below this conical portion the walls have a portion 9 which is tapered or modeled, so that the rim surrounding the elliptical interior of the cup is of substantially uniform thickness surrounding the entire periphery. This rim is also cut down to form a curve 10 in the direction parallel with the long axis of the ellipse, so that the rim of the cup will fit closely against the eye.

Above the conical portion 7 there is formed a shoulder 11, above which a reduced stem 12 carries a flare or handle 14. This permits the stopper to be withdrawn readily from the neck of the bottle, and also forms a foot upon which the eyecup may stand during the filling operation,

; in the position shown in Figure 4.

The modeling of the cross section of the cup or stopper portion of the device permits a cup which will fit into the orbit in a satisfactory manner, and at the same time one which is cylindrically conical over a sufficient extent to permit a ground joint between the stopper and the bottle neck to be made, thus forming a dusttight seal.

The ground surface of the conical portion 7 will have the usual matte finish resulting from the grinding operation. I prefer to give the tapering surfaces 9 and the rim 10 a smooth polish in order to avoid the possibility of scratching the delicate eye membranes when the cup is in use as such. The rim maybe polished before the conical surface is ground, and the shape of the surfaces prevents the destruction of the polish in the grinding operation.

I am aware that it is old practice to mount an eyecup externally on the stopper of eye-lotion bottles. Under these circumstances, however, the eyecup is exposed to dust and dirt, and must be washed immediately before use. The device of my invention is not subject to this disadvantage, since the cup itself is completely protected from contamination when in use as the stopper of the bottle. The cup is therefore always ready for immediate service, and. since the use of an eye lotion is frequently for the purpose of washing foreign bodies from the eye, the advantage of having a clean cup ready for immediate use at all times is obvious.

I claim:

1. In combination, a bottle having a neck provided with a conical internal bearing surface, and a stopper for said bottle having a substantially elliptical cavity therein, the upper portion of said stopper being conically shaped to fit the bearing surface of the bottle neck, and the lower portion thereof tapering to an elliptical shape to provide a rim of substantially uniform width around said cavity.

2. A stopper for an eye-lotion bottle comprising a cup having an elliptical interior cross section, and an exterior cross section grading from elliptical at the rim of the cup to a circular portion adapted to engage the neck of the bottle.

3. In combination, a bottle having a neck provided with a bearing surface, and a cup-shaped closure for said bottle, the rim of said closure being shaped to fit about the eye to form an eyecup, and the portion of said closure remote from the rim being shaped to engage said bearing surface and form a tight joint therewith when the face of the bottle neck, said upper portion having a ground finish, and the lower portion thereof tapering to an elliptical shape to provide a rim of substantially uniform width around said cavity, said lower portion having a polished finish.

FRANCIS J. SPERISEN. 

